


Until the End of Time

by angelus2hot



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Bonding, Community: satedan_grabass, Fluff, M/M, Marriage, Romance, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-24
Updated: 2016-07-24
Packaged: 2018-07-26 10:49:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7571323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelus2hot/pseuds/angelus2hot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John teaches Ronon the joys of football and Ronon teaches John something else entirely.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Until the End of Time

**Author's Note:**

> **Title:** Until the End of Time  
>  **Recipient's name:** mistokath13  
>  **Character/Pairings:** John Sheppard/Ronon Dex  
>  **Word count:** 2,729  
>  **The prompt or prompts used:** teaching someone something new  
>  **Rating:** PG  
>  **Warnings:** Fluff, Romance  
>  **A/N:** I know it's not exactly what you wanted but I hope you like it! A huge thank you to C for the beta and handholding. I couldn't have done it without you!

“So we’re just throwing it around?” A confused look was on Ronon’s face as he stared at the ball in John’s hands. This didn’t seem like it was going to be a very physical sport at all. And he really couldn’t see how John enjoyed it. Especially since the man usually liked more adrenaline inducing things, like Ferris wheels and fast cars. But then again John did like golf too.

“No, there’s a lot more to it than that, Ronon.” John twirled the ball in his hands as he gave Ronon a shortened version of the rules one more time. 

Once he was sure Ronon understood John ran out to the field and threw the ball to him as hard as he could.

“Is that it?” Ronon jumped up and caught the ball hurling towards him with ease. He couldn’t believe all the fuss. _Why make such a big deal over throwing an odd shaped ball around?_

With a sly grin John shook his head. “No. There’s also this.” And without another word he ran full speed at Ronon. 

But before John could crash into him Ronon put his shoulder into John’s midsection and effortlessly tossed him over his shoulder.

A sound escaped John as he hit the ground with a thud. Ronon tried to disguise his worry as he leaned over and stared down at him. “And that’s it?”

John lay there stunned for a minute trying to catch the breath Ronon had knocked out of him. Well, technically it had been his hitting the ground hard that had done it but that was just semantics. He opened his eyes to see Ronon leaning over him.

“John?

He could have told Ronon no that wasn’t it. There was a lot more to be learned about football, the plays, the joy of watching the football spin through the air before catching it and sprinting to the goal for a touchdown. He wanted to tell him all about the subtle nuances that make the game great but he also wanted to keep breathing. And if he was tossed like that again John wasn’t sure he would be. “Yeah, that’s pretty much it. Since I’ve showed you the joys of golf and now football from my world now it’s your turn to show me something from yours.”

“We don’t...” Ronon couldn’t get over how much it still hurt to think about Sateda. He cleared his throat and tried again. “We didn’t have anything like those things.”

John couldn’t stop staring into Ronon’s eyes. “It doesn’t have to be a game or anything like it. It’s just...” He didn’t quite know how to explain to Ronon he wanted to learn everything there was to know about him. The more personal the better as far as he was concerned.

“Come with me.” Ronon leaned down, held out his hand and waited for John to take it. As soon as he had placed his hand in his Ronon pulled him to his feet.

“Where are we going?” John couldn’t contain his curiosity.

“You’ll see.”

While it wasn’t the answer he wanted at the look on Ronon’s face John knew it was the only one he was going to get for awhile. He took a deep breath before he followed quietly after Ronon.

 

 

After two hours of walking with no end in sight John was almost ready to start complaining. In all that time Ronon hadn’t said a word, not one and he would really like to know where they were going. But before he could say anything Ronon stopped abruptly.

“See that?” He pointed at the mountaintop in front of them. At John’s nod he continued, “On my world before a boy could cross the threshold and become a man he would be led blindfolded to the top of the highest mountain and left. He would have to survive on his own for three days before he could find his way back home. If he did he was considered a man with all the rights and privileges it entails. If not....”

“Don’t tell me you left him there.” He couldn’t help but picture a young Ronon left on his own to fend for himself and the thought didn’t sit well with him.

A melancholy smile tugged at Ronon’s lips and he shook his head. “We’re not barbarians, John. Even if some of us did look the part. No. Someone would be sent to bring him back and he could try again the following year.” 

John felt a wave of relief wash over him. At least no harm would come to the boy who couldn’t make it.

He wasn’t aware he’d said anything out loud until Ronon’s laughter echoed around them.

“I didn’t say that. After all kids can be cruel and for failing he would be teased mercilessly.” Ronon tossed his dreadlocks back away from his face as he sat down on a fallen log at the base of the mountain. “That is why most Satedan boys despite their age made sure they were ready both in mind and in body before they even dared to attempt it.” 

Without a word John sighed softly and sat down beside him. Ronon was finally talking and there was no way he was going to interrupt even if he wasn’t sharing the more personal aspects of his life John desperately wanted to know.

“For all of our technological advances we were still a warrior people, John. We didn’t have time for games unless they were games of survival.” Most of the time that thought didn’t bother him. He was proud of his heritage but not for the first time today he wished he could share things like John had shared with him.

Ronon leaned his head back and watched as the sun began to set. He searched through his mind to share something with John that wasn’t about survival tactics. It took a moment but he thought he had finally thought of something. “Once you asked me if I’d had a wife. And I told you near enough.” He paused to make sure John remembered. “What I meant by that was on Sateda we didn’t have the word marriage. We called it ‘The Joining’. There was a certain phrase that was said as the sun set or the full moon was high and then the couple would be bound together for all eternity. In this life and the next.” Ronon couldn’t help but wonder if he still remembered it. After all a lot of years had passed by since the last time he’d heard it. Ronon closed his eyes and tried not to think about saying the words to John and having him give the same words back to him as he began to softly whisper.

_Our hearts together_  
Two souls entwined  
Our love forever  
Until the end of time 

 

His eyes flew open as John’s voice picked up where his had ended. “No, John! Stop!” But it was too late he had already finished repeating the words. “Oh, son of a bitch!” It wasn’t as if Ronon didn’t want to hear John say those words to him it was just that John didn’t know what he was saying or what it meant.

“What? What did I do?” John had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He didn’t know why he had repeated the words. It was as if he was compelled, something inside of him demanding he say them in return. It was more than that. He had needed to say them.

“Look up.” 

John did as he was bid and looked up at the sky. He watched mesmerized as the sky darkened and the moon grew brighter. 

“Well?”

He didn’t understand what Ronon was expecting from him. “Well what?”

Ronon shook his head. “Don’t you see it?”

A loud sigh escaped him. “All I see is the moon. Am I supposed to see something else?”

“It’s a full moon.”

It was all John could do to keep from using his sarcastic voice. “I can see that. So?”

_How could John not realize what....?_ He had just told him the story. Maybe he should have mentioned what it meant if both of them said the words before he had started. “What did I just tell you about?”

_Ronon had told him about the right of passage. He had whispered words after he had told him about The Joining._ John’s mouth fell open and his eyes widened. He ran his fingers through his already messy hair. Surely, that hadn’t just happened. “Ummm...”

“Exactly.” He bit back a groan. Almost from the beginning he had felt a connection to John and had wondered how deep it would go. _Were they destined to only be the closest of friends or could they be more, much more?_ His heart skipped a beat at the thought.

“So what does it mean exactly?”

“You really don’t want to know.” Ronon jumped up and began pacing. This so wasn’t the way he had wanted the day to go. He had pictured them getting back to Atlantis, sharing a beer while talking about their day together. No where in there had he thought they would end up Joined. No matter how much he might wished they could.

John’s mouth fell open. “I believe I do. More to the fact I deserve to know. From the way you’re stressing I can only assume it means we’re married in the ways of your people.” 

Ronon stopped and turned to face John. “No. We’re not married in the ways of my people.” For some reason that phrase pissed him off to no end. “We’re Joined. And before you say it. No, it’s not the same thing. Being joined together is so much more than your marriage. It’s a bond between two people that can never be broken. It means I’ve given my heart into your keeping and you’ve done the same. It means it’s for an eternity. And I know you can’t handle that.”

He swore if his mouth opened any further it was going to stick that way. “What do you mean I can’t handle it?” John just knew it was some quip about his not being able to handle commitment. Ronon was out of his mind because he could handle commitment. Besides he was damn sure he could handle whatever Ronon threw at him.

Laughter bubbled forth and echoed around them. “You’re kidding, right?” Ronon cleared his throat as he tried to get himself back under control. “You have to admit you’re not one to go out of your way to have a permanent or even a semi permanent relationship with anyone.” Ronon stared at John daring him to deny it. It was one of the main reasons he hadn’t tried to go after what he wanted... John.

John opened his mouth to speak but once again Ronon beat him to it. His voice was whisper soft as he let John of the hook. “Don’t worry about it, John. Since we’re not on Sateda it doesn’t count.” Ronon didn’t have the heart to tell John the words they had said together were binding no matter where they were. There was nothing more important to him than John and Ronon would do everything in his power to make sure he was happy. Even if it meant he would remain alone for the rest of his life.

“It doesn’t?”

Ronon couldn’t miss the hopeful note in John’s voice. He quickly cleared his throat. “No.”

“Then why were you panicking?” John couldn’t help the sliver of disappointment that ran through him. For a brief moment he’d had it all, Ronon was his. 

The big Satedan shrugged his shoulders. “I got caught up in the moment.” He couldn’t, wouldn’t tell John Joining with him was his most fervent desire.

There was something in the way Ronon was standing, in the way his shoulders barely slumped and his eyes didn’t quite meet his that gave him pause. “Ronon?” 

“We’d better be getting back.” Without another word Ronon turned and started to walk back the way they had came.

Slowly, John stood. “Ronon, wait.” He waited for Ronon to stop walking before he continued, “The Joining...”

Ronon quickly interrupted as he spun around to face him. “Let it go, John. It’s nothing.”

“Are you ashamed of me?” John’s mouth fell open as the totally unexpected words sprang from his lips.

“What the hell are you talking about?” 

It was now or never. The time to come clean. John took a deep breath. “For a long time now I’ve had to accept the fact you and I...” He stopped talking and cleared his throat. “That we would never be as close as I would like us to be.”

Ronon gaped, his eyes wide as he listened in awe to what John was saying. He couldn’t make any of the right words come out of his mouth. 

John shook his head and continued, “Almost from the moment we met I felt this connection between us and I had thought you and I would... but then I figured I had misread the situation and I made do with what I could get... with what you were willing to give me. I have to tell you it was hard though especially when I was desperate for so much more. I wanted....”

Before he could finish speaking Ronon had slammed John back against the large tree trunk behind him. He tangled his fingers in John’s hair as he stared down into his eyes. With a loud groan that echoed around them Ronon lowered his head and captured John’s lips in a soul stealing kiss. 

The sounds of the night were loud around them but neither man paid any attention nor cared. They were both lost in the sensations of finally being able to give and receive the one thing they had always wanted... Each other.

His breath escaped with a whoosh as Ronon’s tongue slid into his mouth to duel with his own. Little moans of surrender escaped John as his hands slid up Ronon’s sides, up his chest before caressing his arms and sliding down to clasp his hands around Ronon’s gauntlets as Ronon deepened the kiss. 

Desperate for breath John pulled his mouth away, he tried to ignore the tremors racing through his body as Ronon covered his neck with warm, wet kisses. 

“Ronon.” A shiver raced through him as Ronon’s teeth scraped against the tender skin of his shoulder. John tugged on one of his dreadlocks as he tried again. “Ronon.”

Slowly Ronon dropped his arms and raised his head. “John.” He whispered his name before he made to lower his head again.

John put his hands up to stop Ronon. “We have to talk about this.”

“What’s to talk about? I love you and...”

A grin spread across John’s face as he whispered, “I know.”

Ronon was temporarily side tracked. “How do you know?”

The grin widened further. “The second you lied to me about not being joined I knew.” John mentally crossed his fingers and hoped it would work. Ronon had to have been lying for him.

He didn’t take his eyes off of John as he stood straighter. “I didn’t want to lie but you seemed so relieved when I said...”

“I knew it!” John’s grin turned into a self satisfied smile. “We are Joined.”

A low growl rumbled deep within Ronon’s chest. He’d been duped. “John.”

“I love you, you know?” John whispered the words as his fingers slid across Ronon’s chest.

Ronon slowly shook his head as a huge smile began to curl his lips he leaned down and whispered, “Now I do.” 

John stared deep into Ronon’s eyes and slowly began to speak. 

_Our hearts together_  
Two souls entwined  
Our love forever  
Until the end of time 

Within seconds Ronon began to echo the same words John was giving to him. He could feel his heart begin to race as the ancient ceremonial words wove their spell around him and the man he’d chosen to stand by his side for all eternity.

After the destruction of Sateda and the loss of so many lives Ronon had been positive he would never be happy again. But from the second he had met John, Ronon knew he was wrong.

His happiness was just beginning.


End file.
